Combination fireplace and bar



Nov. 1, 1949. .1. CASALI 2,486,517

COMBINATION FIREPLACE AND BAR Filed March- 1, 1946 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 A T TOR/YE Y Nov. 1, 1949. Y J. CASALI 2,486,517

COMBINATION FIREPLACE AND BAR Filed March 1, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n u 5% 20 -/A i o 5 I I i l l k. 4 72 I i lNl/E/VTOR Jase b7; (SasaZz' Patented Nov. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES OFFICE COMBINATION FIREPLACE AND BAR Joseph Casali, Detroit, Mich.

Application March 1, 1946, Serial No. 651,076

-Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in combination fireplaces and bars. 'It is an object of the invention to provide such a structure which may either be pushed back against a wall to add to the appearance of a recreation or other room, or which may be moved away from the wall to function as a bar. However'since a fireplace is materially higher than a bar it is necessary to provide the structure with a vertically movable top plate, and a depending cornice extending from the front and sides of the said plate to extend below the upper extremities of the front and sides of the structure when the top elevated.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a combination fireplace and bar wherein there is ample shelf space for bottles, glasses and the like readily accessible from the rear; wherein one of the shelves forms the top wall of a central aperture in the lower portion of the structure to present the appearance of a fireplace; wherein the top plate when in lowered bar position is supported on the upper edges of the side members of the structure; wherein coacting slides and guides on the top plate and side members respectively are provided for vertical adjustment of the top plate; and wherein retaining members are pivoted on the underside of the top plate to engage the guides and hold the top plate inits raised, fireplace position.

Having thus stated some of the objects and advantages of the invention I will now proceed to describe it in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a rear view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3 '3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on the line "'44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to that shown in Figure 4 but with the top plate in lowered position.

Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal section showing one door, and

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'l--'! of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a base having a structure 2 thereon the lower portion of which is centrally aperture'd at for at least the greater portion of its depth to present the appearance of a fireplace. The-front wall -4- of the structure may be provided in its opposite lower portions with hinged doors 5 which prefer- 2 ably terminate at the same height as the top of the aperture 3. Extending the full width and depth of the structureand supported at opposite ends by the side members 6 is a shelf 1 the underside of which intermediately of its length forms the top of the aperture 3; and extending between the side members 6 and adjacent intermediate walls 8 which form the opposite sides of the aperture 3 are other shelves 9 and Ill. A partition 31; may be provided between the walls 8 toward the rear to reinforce the structure. The back of the structure is open so that all the shelves 1, 9 and ii] are readily accessible from the rear. Mounted on the inner face of each side member 6 intermediately of its depth and spaced from one another are vertical cleats II; and secured to the outer faces of each pair of cleats and extending between them is a guide plate 12, thereby forming a vertical slot l3 between each side member 6 and the adjacent guide plate l2.

The topplate M of the structure is vertically adjustable in a manner hereinafter described so that when the said plate is raisedit is at the correct height for the mantel of a fireplace, and when lowered it is the proper height for a bar.

When the top plate is in its lowered position it rests upon the upper edges of the side members 6 and extends "forwardly beyond the front wall 4, consequently when the said plate is in its raised position there is a considerable gap between the upper extremity of the said wall ll and the top of the side members 6 and the said top plate. This gapis hidden by a cornice- I 5 dependingly mounted along the front and sides of the plate.

Secured by hinges l-fi to the underside of the top plate -14 on each side thereof is a'slide' I! which is somewhat thinner than the width of the slot 13 inw hichritis vertically movable. The purpose of the hinges M5 is to perm-it freedom of movement, and eliminate binding, of the slides in their slots when one end of the top plate is raised more than'the other during .its vertical adjustment. Extending from the slides 11 are dowels 2'5 which project through vertical slots 26 formed in the guide plates I 2 tol-imit the upwardmovement of the top plate i4 and prevent itsidetachment from the structure.

Retaining members It, supported by pins 19 mounted .at their extremities in sockets 2-6 secured to the underside of the top plate is, are adapted'toeng-age and r-est upon the upper horizontal edges of the guide-plates 42 when the top plate is its raised-position shown in Figure '4.

3 It will be noted that the pins l9 are so positioned relative to the retaining members through which they extend that the said members tend to swing outward into position to engage the edges of the guide plates upon which they are adapted to rest.

Suitable handles 2| are provided on the inner sides of the retaining members l8 so that the latter may be readily swung inward about the axes of the pins [9 so that the slides H are then free to travel downward in the slots l3.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown, it is understood that alterations and modifications may be made thereto provided the said alterations and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A combination fireplace and bar comprising a structure including opposed vertical side members and a front wall extending between them, said front wall being centrally apertured from the bottom for a portion of its height to present the appearance of a fireplace, intermediate walls forming the sides of the aperture, a shelf accessible from the rear of the structure extending across the tops of the intermediate walls and forming the top of the aperture, the rear of the structure being open, a vertically ad- J'ustable top plate adapted to be lowered to the height of a bar and rest upon the upper edges of the side members, slides hingedly connected to the underside of the top plate, guides mounted in spaced relation to the side members to form vertical guide slots between said guides and members in which the slides are vertically movable, the hinged mountings of the slides permitting free movement of the latter in the slots even if one end of the top plate is moved vertically materially in advance of the other, coacting means carried by the top plate and side members for supporting the former when elevated to the height of a mantel and spaced above the side members, and a cornice depending from the front and side margins of the top plate to conceal the gap between the underside of said plate and the tops of the front wall and side members when said top plate is in elevated position.

2. In a structure of the character described, the combination of vertical side members and a front wall extending between them, a top plate adapted to rest upon theupper edge of the side members and to project forwardly of the front wall, slides hingedly secured to and extending downwardly from the top plate, guides spaced from the inner faces of said side members to form slots between said guides and members for guiding the slides during vertical adjustment of the top plate, the hinged mounting of the slides permitting easy movement of the said plate even if one extremity thereof is moved materially in advance of the other, and movable retaining members mounted on the top plate for engaging the guides and holding the top plate spaced above said side members.

3. In a structure of the character described, the combination of vertical side members and a front wall extending between them, a top plate adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the side members and to project forwardly of the front wall, slides hingedly connected to the top plate and extending downwardly from the latter, guides spaced from the inner faces of the side members to form vertical slots between said guides and members for guiding the slides during vertical movement of the top plate, retaining members pivoted on the underside of the top plate to engage said guides and support the top plate in raised position spaced above the side members and the front wall, means for limiting the upward movement of the top plate, and a cornice depending from the front and side margins of the top plate to' extend below the upper extremities of said front wall and side members when said top plate is in raised position.

4. A combination fire-place and bar comprising a structure including vertical side members and a front wall extending between them, said wall being apertured from the bottom centrally of its width, a shelf mounted at opposite extremities on said side members to form the top wall of the aperture, intermediate side walls extending rearwardly from the front wall to form opposite sides of the aperture, the rear of the structure being open, a top plate adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the side members to form a bar, guides inwardly spaced from the side members to form vertical slots between said guides and members, slides hingedly connected to the underside of the top plate for vertical adjustment in said slots to permit continued vertical movement of said top plate even if one extremity of the latter is higher than the other, means on the top plate for engaging said guides and retaining said plate in raised position whereby the structure presents the appearance of a fireplace, a cornice depending from the front and side margins of the top plate a sufiicient distance to project below the upper extremities of the front wall and side members when the top plate is in raised position, and means for limiting the movement of the top plate.

5. A combination fireplace and bar comprising a structure including vertical side members and a front wall extending between them, said wall being centrally apertured from the bottom for a portion of its height, a shelf supported at opposite extremities by the side members and forming the top wall of the aperture, intermediate walls extending rearwardly from the front wall and forming the sides of the aperture, the rear of the structure being open, a top plate adapted when lowered to rest upon the upper edges of the side members, slides hinged on the underside of the top plate and depending substantially vertically therefrom, spaced vertical cleats on the inner face of each side member, a guide plate mounted on and extending between the cleats on each side member to form a vertical slot between the guide plate and member in which one of the slides is vertically movable, retaining members pivoted on said undersideto rest upon the guide plates and support the top plate in raised position, and means for limiting the movement of the slides in their slots.

JOSEPH CASALI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 242,804 Vanstone June 14, 1881 368,008 Robertson Aug. 9, 1887 996,236 Goding June 27, 1911 1,713,863 Bertani May 21, 1929 1,889,103 Naftal Nov. 29, 1932 2,253,475 Willber Aug. 19, 1941 

